Origin and development of literary theory

 
What is literary theory?

 Literary theory can be described as the application of ideas to literature. A set of tools which are useful not only for interpretation of literature, but also for interrogating much wider questions. Literary theory in fact consists of any ideas that can shape literary analysis. It is the process of looking outside the text for different meaning.

Criticism is the process of analysing and judging of literature, while theories are the tools to facilitate that interpretation. Indeed, literary theory fosters new avenues into the text. If the student has the passion for the ideas, there comes the best use of theory. It’s a unique way of looking at things; each school offers us a different and particular way to think about a literary text. It can give us a perspective on what a literary text is, on the issues it contains, and the way it is written.

 Literary theories are not all the same. Early theories, such as formalism and structuralism, are very engaged with the nature of language and, even more than this, with reading practices. Other theories, such as poststructuralism and postcolonial theory, often discuss literature directly but within the context of a wider range of concerns. Some literary theory, such as psychoanalytic and Marxist theory, is based in another discipline which does not often explicitly address literature. Thus, literary theory is about the application of all the possible ideas to literature.



Liberal Humanism versus literary theory

 

Liberal humanism is sometimes named as theory before theory. Even though liberal humanism refers to a period in the history of literary criticism before the coming of theory.

According to Yuval Noah Harari liberal humanism holds humanity as the essence of the meaning of the world and as the source for all ethical and political authority. This school believes in the potential of humans to attain excellence and recognizes no moral or natural power above that of human beings. By stressing the authority of humans or human reason, liberal humanists were rejecting the notion of divinity and  authority of the Church.

Liberal humanists were of the opinion that literature makes human beings free, unconstrained and autonomous. Literature is a source of great wisdom. Great works of literature were, to borrow Ben Johnson's words of praise for Shakespeare, 'not of an age, but for all time. Literature was believed to have the power to promote universal and timeless human values.

Liberal humanists did not care to analyse the context of work of literature like the historical period in which it was written, who was the author and what were his ideals and beliefs. The meaning of text is the central concern of the critics and readers.  Meaning is there in the text, independent of its context. To them meaning is a fixed and enduring entity which cannot be altered. Pefer Barry, in his book, Beginning Thory, lists the ten tenets of liberal humanism which can be summarized as

1. Liberal humanism holds that good literature is of ' timeless significance' and transcends the limitations and peculiarities of the age it was written in.

 

2. The literary text has its own absolute meaning and defies all socio-political, historical and autobiographical contextualization.

3. To understand the text it should be studied in isolation, / detached from its above said contexts.

4. Human nature is essentially permanent and unchanging. Hence good literature should reflect this eternal nature only.

5. The individual or the subject in literature cannot be portrayed as undergoing change because the true human essence is unchangeable and transcends all influences.

6. Form and content are inseparable organic parts of the work of literature.

7. The purpose of literature should be the reflection of human values, but should not be biased.

Liberal humanism is also criticised for its eurocentrism. In liberal humanism human values are western values.